Your first step in sustainable aquaculture

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FAQ

The below Frequently Asked Questions section is a guide for those of you who have purchased the My Aqua Farm™ system. However, these below questions and answers should help anyone getting started in Aquaculture.

While plant growth in a mature system is accelerated over soil based growth the actual harvest time will vary depending on the nutrient load in the system. At first you may not see this optimal growth rate but over time it will improve as the system matures. If the seeds planted indicate a 4 week harvest (as in fast growing things like lettuce and such) it will take that long at first and less as the system matures and gains biomass in the growbeds. Fish growth will be determined by species, water temp and feed quality and feeding rate.

Once you determine the water is safe for the fish (void of chlorine or chloramine) you can add a few fish to begin establishing the bacteria colonization in the growbed media. Once the bacteria are successfully handling the waste produced by the fish one can begin adding fish slowly. Remember this is a biological system and changes are best handled slowly. Please read the information on “New Tank Syndrome” provided in the Aquaponics Basics area of this website.

This is determined by the species used. Personally I would not stock this system with over 30lbs of fish at harvest size. DO NOT add 30 lbs of fish in the beginning of operation of this system without a well established bacterial colony. Please see “How long before I add fish?” above and “Fish to Plant Ratios” in the Basics of Aquaponics and Operation area of this website.

title="How much and how many times a day should I feed the fish?"]Only feed the fish as much feed as they can consume in 10 minutes or so. Fish grow faster and are healthier with a few small feedings rather than once a day large feedings. Tilapia, for instance, have very small stomach's (some say basically none at all) and can feed as many as 4 times a day with small amounts. The critical thing to remember is not to leave any feed in the water that's uneaten to begin decomposing. This produces a sudden bacterial load in the system and not only consumes DO (Dissolved Oxygen) at a fast rate but will also cause a severe spike in free ammonia. Once again, sudden changes in any biological system are very bad. Small amounts often are much better than a few large feedings.

Fish capable of gulping air (also called piping) such as carp, goldfish, koi, tilapia, etc.. are doing so for one reason. Low oxygen. Whether from low DO (Dissolved Oxygen) in the water itself caused by either overloading the system with too many fish, overfeeding, too long a cycle time or from a problem with the nirtifying bacteria not converting the nitrite to nitrate causing “brown blood disease” rendering the blood incapable of carrying oxygen to the cells of the fish must be corrected. If it's a water quality issue change 1/3 of the water for fresh water and watch the system. It should begin to clear in a couple days. If it's from overcrowding you can either add aeration to improve the DO or remove some of the fish. High water temp can cause metabolism to increase in the fish causing more oxygen demand while the water itself carries less Oxygen as the temp increases.

Please see the section on Food safety in the Basics of Aquaponics and Operation area in this website for a copy of a food safety report done on aquaponics systems. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

This is one of the biggest issues with aquaponics and honestly while one of the challenges, it's also one of the best features. Since we are dealing with a biological based nutrient development system you cannot under any circumstances use pesticides of a toxic nature. If you do so, you will kill the system. In hydroponic systems pesticides are routinely used to kill everything except the plants all the time marketing the produce as healthy, almost organic. With an aquaponics system the person operating the system has to use natural non-toxic (even Neem is toxic and can kill your fish)means for pest control. This ranges from manually picking off pests to making various concoctions from garlic, pepper, soaps, etc. There is a whole world of these type remedies for pests that are not as “industrial” as the use of chemical poisons.

This question and debate has been going on for a long time. I find it interesting that those who espouse organic certification gain that certification from governmental agencies most of the time closely tied to industrial farming. Honestly the definition of “organic” seems to change depending on who you talk to as well. To better answer the question though, it will all depend on the feed you use, the seed you use and how you manage the system. If you use organic feeds, seeds and no pesticides I honestly believe that's the very definition of organic. Your state agency may disagree though.

Cycle time is the time between the flood valve operating to empty the water from the growbed. There are several things that happen while the cycle is occurring. Water is being aerated on it's way into the growbed. Plants are taking up nutrients and as such cleaning the water for the fish. The areas of the growbed not filled are being bathed in atmospheric oxygen for the health of the bacteria (they are aerobic) and plant roots (yes plant roots require oxygen). I personally prefer a cycle time around 40 minutes between flood valve activations. The plants and fish you use may change that depending on your conditions. 40 minutes is a good starting place though.

Many people new to aquaponics may wonder this. Most don't realize that the Flood valve for controlling flood and drain on an aquaponics system has been around longer than the use of bell siphons. After I released the Barrel-Ponics® manual in 2005 it became apparent that the toilet valve used in the manual wasn't available in many countries and the effort to use another method to control the flood and drain of an aquaponics system not reliant on switches, timers, microprocessors and such was sought after. Many variations of siphon based systems were used from loop siphons to standpipe systems and then bell siphons. While bell siphons do work they have the limitations of being able to only function within a narrower flow rather than the Flood Valve I developed. If the flow rate is too small, the siphon will not initiate, too much flow and the siphon will not disengage. The Flood Valve can operate on as low a flow rate as 10 gallons per hour and will function with flow rates well outside the parameters for a Bell siphon to operate. This is one of the reasons why we prefer the Flood Valve. It can operate where other mechanical systems cannot. If, for instance the pump get's clogged while away the system will continue to operate returning the water periodically to the fish tank to it's full volume. A bell siphon based system would keep the growbed flooded and the fish tank with less volume. A secondary, albeit somewhat personal, reason is it's just plain fun to watch. Everyone who has watched this type system function basically get's a smile on their face. The rocker mechanism on the My AquaFarm™ Aquaponics System is a silhouette of a man in a fishing boat. When the mechanism functions, it's as if he's caught a fish and the boat rocks forward. Just plain fun to watch.

You can do both. Seeds like beans can be directly planted in the place where they are to be grown. Small seeds like basil are sprinkled over the growbeds and the top surface shaken a bit to settle the seeds in the gravel. Plants transplanted into the system should be closely inspected for pests and any pests removed before being transferred into the growbeds.

Plants can be relocated from one place to the other with little transplant shock. The warm moist environment and gravel media make this easy. Simply loosen the gravel a bit while gently pulling the plant up. Dig a hole at the new location and settle in the root mass and gently refill the hole.

The basic construction of the My AquaFarm™ Aquaponics System is a welded and bolted steel angle framework with heavy wire mesh infill to make the fish tank and growbed framework. It is powder coated with a UV resistant paint to keep it looking good for years to come. The liners are made of the same heavy duty reinforced pvc material commonly used in potable water tanks and inflatable boats. It's both tough, strong and weather resistant for years of dependable service. This type construction facilitates the system to be disassembled and shipped easily but yields a very strong and stable unit once assembled.

The volumes of the My AquaFarm™ Aquaponics System growbed is approximately 16 cu. ft. The volume of the fish tank is approximately 168 gallons. While, to some, the fish tank is large in comparison to the growbed, we have found most people, new to aquaponics, find the fishkeeping aspect to be the greater challenge. The larger fish tank gives a bit more "forgiveness" to this aspect of aquaponics.

The pump we chose to use with the My AquaFarm™ Aquaponics System is a 1500 liter per hour pump made by Resun. I have personally used Resun pumps for several years in my Barrel-Ponics® units and have found them to a reliable inexpensive workhorse.

(56) Comments

I am wondering how much produce and fish this system can harvest in a year. Can you provide some numbers on what you planted and how much you reaped with this system to include the length of your growing cycle? Was it all year or just a season? Was it outside and where? Was it inside & if so what type of grow lights did you use if any? Thanks for the help.

Production numbers will depend totally on your location and crops grown. Anybody that gives hard numbers is not being truthful. I’m not dodging the issue at all, just being honest. This is not hydroponics in a controlled environment. The basic rule of thumb on aquaponics is twice the growth and twice the planting density. If you look at the photo’s of basil, my wife get’s 4 harvests per season here. The system is outside, no grow lights or anything like that and we run it from April to Sept. We shut it down for the entire winter. As far as fish, it’s totally dependent on the temps, quality of feed and feeding rate as well as species you use. As an honest estimate 25lbs of tilapia under optimum conditions per year would be reasonable starting with 3″-4″ fingerlings. Could be more or less depending on the conditions stated. Hope this helps.

Travis

P.S. Sorry for note getting back to you sooner. Power is down due to ice storm. Running periodically on a genset so responses may be slow.

I really like the look of this system, I have been looking into aquaponics on you tube for some time and I’m going to start one this year. I have two questions 1. can you expand the grow bed on this system? 2. as a first timer and handy with tools would you recommended starting with the barrel system on your page or the prefab system?

Hello Fred. The growbed and fish tank are sized appropriately for each other. This system is deigned with the new operator in mind, very forgiving, sturdy built and designed to last decades. We are planing on offering both larger and smaller versions in the future based on this same design. As far as the comparison between the My AquaFarm system and the Barrel-ponics system in the manual, the My AquaFarm is capable of much more as far as production of both fish and vegetables and uses less power. The fish tank alone is over 3 times that of the Barrel-Ponics unit. The My AquaFarm will have yo up and ready for fish in 1 day. Hope this helps and thank you for considering My AquaFarm. It’s greatly appreciated.

Hi Travis, I’m looking into purchasing a system for our family. We are a family of 5. (2 adults & 3 kids) Keeping the future hard times in mind, how productive do you think this system would be in a “no buy or sell” economy?

Travis, great system. Looking forward to that larger grow bed system. What is the overall footprint of the current system assembled? Trying to fit it in the house and I have several spots picked. Thanks in advance.

The overall footprint is 50″ x 72″. Make sure you situate it in a place that can take the weight. When you say “in the house”, what do you mean by that? Hopefully not thinking of putting it in the living room or anything like that.

I have a mud/utility room that was once a one car attached garage. It is heated and cooled as part of the home. It is a concrete slab so no concern about weight. The living room is a good idea though.. 🙂 thank you for the size info.

I honestly couldn’t say. I’ve never used artificial lighting in any of my systems. The manufacturers of such lighting would be better equipped to guide you on your choices. I do know the color of the light has much to do with what kind of plants you will be growing. Fruiting plants prefer a different color light than do leafy green plants.

I’ve not raised shrimp myself. I cannot see any reason why you couldn’t though. Shrimp are carnivorous though and as such I think you would have an issue with stocking density high enough to really get things growing well. A poly-culture of fish and shrimp might be the best way to go. As far as the outside conditions, the My AquaFarm system is designed with the fish tank mostly under the growbed leaving little exposure of the fish tank to collect dust. Keeping a good healthy growth on top will be your best insurance to keep dust off the growbed. Hope this helps!!

Thanks Lal for your inquiry. I’m working on an international shipper. We’ve had several requests to send the My Aqua Farm on an overseas trip. Hopefully soon we’ll be able to quote the cost. Right now we have no way to even estimate the shipping costs. When we do have the service available we’ll make an announcement on the website. Keep checking in. Hopefully we’ll know something soon.

Hey Travis, a friend of mine sent me this link. This is a great idea! Anyway I was wondering what it would take for me to be a dealer? I started my own organic soap nut business (alternative laundry detergent) about 4 years ago. I know that I could really push this product for you.

Hello Barry,
Thank you for your inquiry. Currently we only have dealerships available for the lower 48 states of the US. I have a two tiered system. One for internet retailers who take orders on their website and then order for their customers off this website and we drop ship from here. You use a coupon code unique to you and keep the difference between retail and the coupon code. The other tier is for what we call V.A.R.’s (Value Added Retailers)in which you take orders and assemble the units for your customer and set up at their location. We will only send the unit to you alone. You can then sell media and fish as well as service with an exclusive area with a 50 mile radius. The V.A.R.’s earn a 2x commission for assembly and setup. Email me privately for details at travis@myaquafarm.com.

This system can produce a large amount of food but not enough to feed a family. With aquaponics, it’s all about ratio’s and each system should be designed with the proper ratios in place. Expanding a system, while a popular notion, simply is not a good idea as it changes the ratios and places water in places where the fish aren’t. The best way to set up an aquaponics system large enough for a family is to use multiple systems. This way, if there’s a pest problem, it’s limited to that unit and not the entire food production project. We will be releasing a system double this size in the near future.
Hope this helps.

I was reading your answer concerning placing the system indoors (I have a large basement-one side currently not used) I would have to use artificial lighting. Do you think your system would work under these conditions. It is a bit pricey for me and if I made the investment I would like to get a return on my investment. Thanks great product!

It’s most certainly possible to use the My Aqua Farm indoors. One has to weigh for themselves if the crops grown are of sufficient value to warrant the additional expense of lighting. That’s an individual choice. There are some indoor My Aqua Farm units in operation currently.

Hello, just wanted to say, just found this info on YouTube, I love it! I do have a question: I have a cedar greenhouse 10×14′ and was wondering if anyone has ever told you that they have put one of your systems in a greenhouse. And, what about winter months (Michigan… brrrr), any detailed suggestions/information would be GREATLY appreciated! btw, you sir have done a great job on this project, it’s genius! 🙂

I live in Marble Falls, Tx near Austin. I’m retired, 83 years old. Would the high temps (100 deg f and higher sometimes) be too high for your system? Also, in your assembly video, you mentioned a substitute for gravel. Do you offer that now? I’m ready to order. What is your shipping schedule? Also, should I order the tilapia at the same time I order the system? Thanks,

Hello Travis, I read with great interest your manual and it would take some convincing to get my husband to build it. Having said that, we live in Jamaica, W.I. and I was wondering what other kind of fish we could incorporate into this system. Most fish here are salt water, and this doesn’t seem compatible. I would appreciate any comments you have.

I just saw the construction video on You Tube…I was very impressed on how simple and complete your system is. This is a great way to introduce people to aquaponics in an urban environment. What would the weight be on a completed system,…. water, fish, gravel, tanks, equipment and plants…, and could it safely be installed on a high-rise balcony with a southern exposure?…Also thought this would make an excellent gift for someone interested in getting started raising their own food in an open land limited area.

Thank you so much for your comments and interest in the My Aqua Farm product. The current system weighs approximately 2800 lbs with gravel as the growbed media. Lighter weight media can cut 800 lbs off this number. As far as it being set up n a balcony, I cannot in any way determine whether that is a good idea or not. A building engineer would have to be consulted to determine if the weight of a fully loaded system would exceed safety parameters for a particular structure. As a FYI, we are introducing a 1/2 size system in the near future that may be more suitable. Keep an eye out for an announcement once they arrive.

Our plants are growing very quickly and I am wondering, if we just clip down or trim the radish sprouts and wheat grass, will the grow back. What if we want to plant new things? Do we pull up the plants and leave the gravel and add new seeds? Thank you. It works great!!!

You should be able to clip the wheatgrass and it regrow just fine. With the radish, I would be sure to leave a few leaves until a good root developed.
When you want to replant, by all means pull the plants no longer needed and shake the gravel off the roots and reseed or replant as desired.
Yes, the My Aqua Farm is one of the most amazing ways to grow food. Aquastead e-fish-ently!!